Raisa Kudasheva

Severed Thread: The Decline of the Swiss Embroidery Industry

History EN ↓ 4 episodes

Severed Thread is the result of a personal quest to trace the rise and demise of the Swiss embroidery industry from the 1890s up until this day. In a very frivolous way, Raisa Kudasheva combines personal interviews with her own discoveries and musings on the themes of globalisation, capitalist greed, and the beauty of craft. More information is available on the website: https://readymag.website/u4255242694/6271014/

Author

Raisa Kudasheva

Episodes

Episode 4: The Fates of Embroidery 08.05.2026 28:19

In the last episode I try to imagine the form in which the craft of embroidery will persevere in Switzerland. Link: The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History by Kassia St. Clair ⁠ https://www.sustainablefashionweek.uk/opinion/the-golden-thread ⁠ Music in this episode was taken from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Episode 3: Red Hot Fantasy Labor 08.05.2026 45:25

In this episode I address the link between embroidery and the plague of fast fashion. Links: Why fast-fashion garment workers' lives are still at risk ⁠ https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/why-fast-fashion-garment-workers-lives-are-still-at-risk-transcript-1.7120894⁠ Shirtwaist Factory Fire Episode on Dressed: The History of Fashion Podcast ⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sweatshops-and-s...

Episode 2: African Lace 08.05.2026 25:13

After the Second World War, interest in embroidery declined across Europe and the United States. In response, entrepreneurs began seeking new revenue streams. One such "stream" was West Africa. Links to media mentioned in the episode: STOFF - Ein Spitzengeschäft Film ⁠ https://filminstitut.at/filme/stoff-ein-spitzengeschaeft ⁠ Forget Me Not Book by Stephanie Baechler ⁠ https://www.stephaniebaechle...

Episode 1: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger 08.05.2026 27:11

In this episode, the host travels to Appenzell to meet Walter Sonderreger — a contract embroiderer who was eventually forced to close his family business. His company was "the last one standing" in the region. It is impossible to understand the decline of the embroidery industry without diving into the history of embroidery machines. Link: How This 140-Year-Old Lace Factory Created Leavers Lace fo...